Regulator device for induction apparatus employing addition and subtraction of coil turns



Dec. 31, 1968 A. A. VIGREUX 3,419,333

REGULATOR DEVICE FOR INDUCTION APPARATUS EMPLOYING ADDITION ANDSUBTRACTION OF COIL TURNS Filed July 17, 1967 Sheet of 4 &

- 6 1 INVENTOR I 3 Armand Alphonse VLjreuzc ATTORNEYS Dec. 31, 1968 A.A. VIGREUX ,8

REGULATOR DEVICE FOR INDUCTION APPARATUS EMPLOYING ADDITION ANDSUBTRACTION OF COIL TURNS Filed July 17, 1967 Sheet 2 of 4 INV ENT OR iv,%mand Alphonse VILQI'GUX ATTORNEYS Dec. 31. 1968 A. A. VIGREUX 33 5833.RBGULATQR DEVICE FOR INDUCTION APPARATUS EMPLOYING ADDITION ANDSUBTRACTION OF COIL TURNS Filed Ju1y 17. 1967 Sheet 3 of 4 INVENT ORArmand Alphonse Vigreul BY w mgguxmu ATTORNEYS Dec. 31. 1968 A. A.VIGREUX 3,419,833

REGULATOR DEVICE FOR INDUCTION APPARATUS EMPLOYING ADDITION ANDSUBTRAGTION OF COIL TURNS Filed July 17, 1967 Sheet 4 of 4 rI INVENTOR88%,

8.74 Armand Alphonse VL' reu1 BY )JQ n ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6Claims. (Cl. 336-) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A regulator device for usewith induction apparatus such as transformers, induction coils and thelike for adding and subtracting in-circuit turns comprises a coresurrounding which is a helical flexible, insulated regulator winding.One end of this winding is fixed, the other end is arranged for movementalong a circular path about the core axis, and a cylindrical mobileguide member is located on the core intermediate upper and lowersections of the winding, the turns of the upper and lower windingsections being wound in opposite directions and being separated by adirection reversing portion which passes along a U-shaped transitiongroove in the guide member. When the movable end of the winding is movedalong its circular path, it entrains all of the winding section betweenit and the guide member, effects movement of the direction reversingportion of the winding along the groove of the guide member and thusadds turns to one of the winding sections while simultaneouslysubtracting turns from the other section, the guide member beingdisplaced longitudinally along the core in one direction or the otherdepending upon the sense of rot-ation of the movable end of the winding.All turns of the regulator winding are thus always traversed by thecurrent and the desired regulation is effected by arranging for anincrease in the number of turns having one direction of winding and asimultaneous decrease in the number of turns having the oppositedirection of winding.

The present invention relates to a regulator device for use onelectrical induction apparatus such as transformers and the like whichfunctions to change the number of incircuit turns of an electrical coilby adding or substracting coil turns.

In the case of an electrical transformer, for example, in order toregulate, i.e. vary the secondary output voltage, it is necessary tovary the number of in-circuit turns of either the primary or secondarywinding, thus changing the turns ratio of the transformer by the desiredamount. When the nature of the operation requires that the outputvoltage of the transformer be varied without an interruption in service,various expedients are available, among which are:

(a) Use of a load assumption commutator, often located on the primaryside of the transformer.

(b) Use of a carbon traveller which passes from one turn to the otheralong a generatrix of a cylindrical winding.

(c) Use of a transformer with a rotary core in which a traveller,secured to the core, slides inside the turn of the secondary winding andthus permits an absolutely continuous variation of the output voltage.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an entirelydifferent arrangement for effecting the desired result of adding orsubtracting coil turns which functions in such manner that no portion ofthe winding to be regulated is ever open-ended during the regulation,

i.e. not traversed by the current which passes through the winding.

In accordance with the invention, a cylindrical regulating coil with ahelical winding is supported for rotation about its axis between twoconcentric, mobile cylinders, the cylindrical core of the inductiondevice being located interiorly of the innermost mobile cylinder. Oneend of the helical winding is fixed while the other end is subjected torotation in a circle about the core axis and the windingis composed oftwo axial sections effectively separated by a cylindrical mobile guidepiece also mounted between the concentric mobile cylinders. T'hose turnsof the winding section located between the fixed end thereof and theguide piece are wound in one direction about the core, and those turnsof the winding section located between the rotatable end thereof and theguide piece are Wound in the opposite direction about the core. Thedesired transition in the respective winding directions of the twosections which takes place at the guide piece is effected by passing theintermediate portion of the flexible wire which forms the Windingthrough a generally U-shaped groove in the guide piece. Thus, as themovable end of the winding is rotated in a circular path concentric withthe core axis, the intermediate portion of the winding will move in onedirection or the other through the groove in the guide piece andsimultaneously cause the latter to travel longitudinally of the core inone direction or the other as the number of turns of one section of thewinding is increased, while the number of turns on the other windingsection is simultaneously decreased. The direction of longitudinalmovement of the guide piece will, of course, be dependent upon thedirection of rotation of the movable end of the winding in its circularpath about the core axis.

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages inherent in theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of two practical embodiments thereof as applied to atransformer and from the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in central vertical section with certain parts shown inelevation of the coil supporting part of a transformer core;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a generally elevational view of the regulator winding showingits relation to the mobile guide piece which serves to effect thedesired change in turns of each section of the winding such that thenumber of turns of one section which are wound in one direction will beprogressively increased while the number of turns of the other sectionwhich are wound in the opposite direction will be progressivelydecreased;

FIG. 4 is a transverse view at the rotatable end of the regulatorWinding showing the manner in which the electrical connection to thisend of the winding is made; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and illustrating a modifiedembodiment wherein two regulator windings incorporating the inventiveconcept are arranged in superposed relation on the same transformercore.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the transformer is comprised of a magneticcircuit which includes a plurality of cylindrical cores 1 on which thetransformer coils are placed, and end yokes 2 which serve to support andmagnetically interconnect the cores 1 to establish the necessary closedflux path through the structure. The cylindrical cores 1 and end yokes 2are laminated, as is conventional. Thus, the laminations of the cores 1may be contoured as involutes of a circle, or the laminations may bearranged radially from the axis or stacked in any other classic manner.Similarly, the laminations of the end yokes 2 may be wound from stripsof magnetic sheet material or arranged in other classic manners. Thenumber of cores 1 will depend upon whether the transformer is designedfor single-phase or three-phase use. If single-phase, there will be twosuch cores interconnected by the end yokes, and for a three-phasearrangement, three such cores will be used and arranged, for example, atthe apices of a triangle.

The end yokes 2 are secured to the opposite ends of each core 1 by meansof a through bolt 3 which passes through the center of the core andyokes 2, the bolt having a head 5 at one end and a clamping mechanism 4at the opposite end. Insulators 6 at the opposite end face of each coreserve to prevent the laminations of the core and end yokes from cominginto direct contact with each other.

The coil arrangement on each core 1 comprises a cylindrical primarywinding 7 to which is usually applied a high voltage, a main cylindricalsecond winding 8 located radially inward from primary winding 7 andelectrically insulated therefrom by means of a cylindrical sheath 9 ofinsulating material, and a generally helical regulator winding 11 whichis connected in series with secondary winding 8. This regulator winding11 located radially inward from secondary winding 8 is made from aflexible conductor material covered by a braided type of insulation, orthe like.

One end of secondary winding 8 is passed through terminal bushing andthe opposite end of this winding is connected via a conductor 12a to thelower end 12 of the regulator winding 11, this lower end being fixed inposition. The opposite end 13 of the regulator winding is mobile, asdistinguished from its opposite, fixed end 12, and is arranged to bemoved in a circular path concentric with the axis of the core 1 in aclockwise, or counterclockwise direction by means including a rotatablecrown wheel 14 which surrounds one end of core 1 and which preferably ismade from insulating material.

A stationary crown wheel 15, also made from insulating materialsurrounds core 1 at its opposite end, and these two crown wheels areprovided with cylindrical portions 14', 15 which serve to center, inradially spaced relation two mobile insulating sleeves 16, 17 andbetween which lies the regulator winding 11.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the helical regulator winding 11 althoughcontinuous throughout its length, is functionally divided into twooperating sections 11A and 11B, the lower section 11A being wound in onedirection as related to the axis of the core 1, and the upper section118 being wound in the opposite direction. Intermediate these twosections is located a cylindrical, mobile guide member 18 which isprovided with a U-shaped groove 18 through which the flexible conductorwhich forms regulator winding 11 is passed and guided in effecting thedesired reversal in the respective winding directions of the upper andlower sections 11A and 11B. Guide member 18 also lies between insulatingsleeves 16, 17 and functions somewhat as a pulley, guiding the wire intoand out of the winding direction-changing groove 18' and shiftingaxially so that the number of turns of winding sections 11A and 11B ofthe regulating winding progressively increase and decrease,respectively, or vice versa, as the drive crown 14 is rotated. Rotationof drive crown 14 may be effected in any suitable manner such as bymeans of a ring gear 23 secured to it, the ring gear being meshed with areversible drive pinion, not illustrated. Ring gear 23 is preferablymade from electrical insulating material. If made from a metal which iselectrical conductive, it is preferable to interrupt the samecircumferentially by means of insulating inserts to prevent formation ofshortcircuited turns around core 1.

The details of the manner in which the upper, mobile end 13 of regulatorwinding 11 is arrangedfor rotation in a circular path about the coreaxis, and the manner in which the necessary electrical connection tothis coil end is made, are shown in FIG. 4. Here it will be seen thatthe drive crown wheel 14 includes a circumferentially extending recess14" within which are located two spring loaded electrically conductivetravellers 24 connected to the end 13 of winding 11 which establish, asthey rotate with crown wheel 14, a sliding contact with arcuate,electrically conductive shoes 25 arranged in a circle in essentiallyend-to-end relation, but electrically insulated from each other to avoidcreation of a short-circuited turn. The arcuate shoes 25 are secured tothe outer ends of a circular array of electrically conductive strips 26having the configuration of involutes positioned at the top 20 of core 1where some of the involute-shaped magnetic sheets are shortened. Theinvolute-shaped conductive strips 26 which are also insulated from themagnetic sheets which form the core are secured at their inner ends,such as by welding, to the periphery of an electrically conductive,stationary sleeve 21 surrounding rod 3 in spaced relation thereto.Sleeve 21 extends upwardly beyond the upper surface of yoke 2, and acollar 22 provides the necessary electrical take-off connection fromsleeve 21 to and for passage through the other terminal bushing 19. Theconductive strips 26 are provided in sufficient number to prevent anysparking as the drive crown 14 is rotated.

The commutation arrangement which has been described is particularlysuitable for cores formed of involutate-shaped magnetic sheets. Forother types of cores one can, by subdividing the cores in known manner,establish an analogous commutation arrangement for the mobile end 13 ofthe regulating winding 11.

Operation The improved turn-changing regulating device in accordancewith the invention operates in the following manner.

In order to effectively change the number of turns of regulating winding11 connected in circuit with the main secondary winding 8, gear 23 isrotated in one direction or the other, dependent upon whether turns aredesired to be added or subtracted, to rotate crown 14. During rotationof crown 14, the mobile end 13 of the regulating winding 11 also rotatesand entrains all of that part 11B located between the guide member 18and the mobile end 13. The guide member 18, also entrained due to thefriction which exists between it and the braided insulating covering forwinding 11, moves in the manner of a pulley, in one direction or theother axially along the core 1, dependent upon the direction of rotationof winding end 13, as the wire passes through the U-shaped reversinggroove 18', thus passing the turns of winding 11 one-byone from section11A to section 11B, or vice versa.

If the number of arcuate collecting shoes 25 is designated by p, and theflux involved varies by 1/ p for each increment 1/ p of rotation ofdrive crown 14 in a given direction, the number of additional turnsdiminishes, for example, by l/Zp of a turn and, when subtracting,increases by l/ 2p of a turn, so that the total voltage change actuallyvaries by 1/ p multiplied by the voltage per turn.

The improved regulating device according to the invention, as describedhereinabove by a way of example, for application to the regulation ofthe secondary voltage of a transformer can also, without departing fromthe scope of the inventive concept, be used with induction coils orother types of induction apparatus, with the use of suitable devices forits functioning within the spirit of what has been described.

Finally, it is possible, with a view towards particular and complexregulating functions, to make use of a plurality of regulating devicesas described, these being coupled together in a desired manner andconnected electrically to the apparatus to be regulated. An arrangementof this type, making use of two such regulating devices, is illustratedin FIG. 5, as an example. Here it will be seen that the two regulatingwindings 111 and 211 are associated with guide members 18a, 18b,respectively, and drive crowns 14a, 14b respectively arranged on acommon core and located at opposite ends thereof. The fixed ends 111'and 211 of the windings are interconnected at the common, stationarycrown wheel 15' located at an intermediate position of the core and leadto an interconnection between the adjoining ends of the two mainsecondary windings 8' and 8".

I claim:

1. In a regulator device for changing the number of incircuit turns ofan induction apparatus, the combination comprising a core, a helical,flexible regulator winding located on said core, means securing one endof said Winding against rotation, means for moving the other end of saidwinding in a circular path about the core axis, and a cylindrical mobileguide member located on said core intermediate upper and lower sectionsof said helical winding, the turns of said upper and lower sectionsbeing wound in opposite directions respectively and being separated by adirection reversing portion which passes along a direction reversinggroove in said guide member, whereby movement of said one end of saidWinding along its circular path serves to effect movement of saiddirection reversing portion thereof along said groove in said guidemember thus adding turns to one of said winding sections andsimultaneously subtracting turns from the other section and which isaccompanied by a displacement of said guide member longitudinal of thecore axis.

2. A regulator device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means formoving one end of said regulator winding in a circular path about thecore axis is constituted by a drive crown mounted on said core adjacentsaid winding end and which further includes a fixed crown located onsaid core adjacent the opposite end of said winding and secured thereto,and [mobile concentric insulating sleeves between which said crownwheels, regulator winding and guide member are located and centered.

3. A regulator device as define-d in claim 1 wherein said core isprovided with an axially extending throughbore and through which passesa rod for clamping opposite ends of said core to yoke members, whereinsaid means for moving one end of said regulator winding in a circularpath about the core axis is constituted by a drive crown, and whichfurther includes a pair of spring loaded electrically conductivetravellers located in a recess in said drive crown, said movable end ofsaid winding being secured to said travellers, a circular arrangement ofa plurality of arcuate stationary collecting shoes concentric with thecore axis and disposed in essentially end to-end relation butelectrically insulated from each other, an electrically conductivesleeve surrounding rod, conductive strips having involute configurationinterconnecting said arcuate collecting shoes with said conductivesleeve, and an electrical connection from said conductive sleeve toterminal means.

4. A regulator device as defined in claim 3 and which further includes afixed crown located at the opposite end of said regulator winding and towhich winding end said fixed crown is secured, and mobile concentricinsulating sleeves between which said crown wheels, regulator windingand guide member are located and centered.

5. A regulator device and which includes a plurality of helical flexibleregulator windings each as defined in claim 1 and which are arranged ona common core and electrically interconnected.

6. A regulator device as defined in claim 1 for use with a transformerwherein the primary and secondary transformer windings are located onsaid core, and said regulator winding is connected in series with saidsecondary winding of said transformer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,061 4/1936 Bliss 336--152,731,605 1/1956 Doelz 33615 3,246,268 4/1966 Shepherd 33615 LARAMIE E.ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

T. J. KOZMA, Assistant Examiner.

